I'm a weaving Goddess!

It's nice being on the top pedestal, eh?

My biggest fear with this project has been the total width and length.  The person who ordered it was very precise about the measurements.  In fact, my aunt had to go over and help.  It was very exact, and the project needed to be very exact.  I almost laid awake at night fearing I couldn't make it this precise.  I carefully made all my measurements 10-15% bigger than they needed to be, and you know what?  It ended up exactly-right-on-perfect!!!!  Wow, I can't believe I did that!  Even the FRINGE was perfectly the exact right length, even after I twisted it!  I didn't have to cut off a single fiber from the bottom!  I have never been able to be that exact in weaving sizes before.

As you all know, it's sometimes a gamble!






 Ahh... now I can finally rest assured that it's perfect and I'm done and I can move on with life now!!!

Linda's project is done!

Just finished Linda's project!

According to my calculations, I should have had more warp leftover, but the little knots were right at the heddles when I finally finished!  I thought I calculated everything correctly, but I am SO GLAD I was finally able to finish this project!  It has been a little bit stressful since February when Linda asked me to weave it.  I mean, first the yarn fiasco when it wouldn't come in, and then I found out it might be discontinued after I get started, and then I ran out of red right in the middle of the table runner... now I just have to hope it shrinks down 10-15% in the washing machine and dryer, like I originally calculated it would do!

Soon, it will be on its lovely way to Kansas where Linda can enjoy these beautiful pieces on her dining room table!

Almost there!!!!

I've been making major progress on Linda's table runner!  I'm about 2/3 of the way done with the runner, plus I think I have a little extra warp left on my loom for a very small piece.  BUT... I ran out of the lipstick yarn!  I even calculated everything very carefully!  And this yarn is so impossible to get! 

Luckily, I can get the very last tube available in my entire city!

And Linda's project continues!

 We're half way and making progress everyday!!!

This little guy is also scheduled to go with these placemats and runners.   His new name is Armando!

They're ready to ship!

After weaving all the bookmarks, I sew in-between the channels, iron the sheet, then cut them apart. Then I have to pick all the little strings and lint off.

Sewing these empty channels always seems like a hair raising experience to me because I feel like there is limited time between taking it off the loom and the threads filling those empty spaces.  It always freaks me out a little tiny bit and raises my blood pressure somewhat, especially when it's a project for someone else!

But it always works out ok!  I think next time I am going to leave a little bit more space than I did this time.  It was a tight fit, but worked just fine.  I also think I'm going to put some filler yarn in the channels just so the threads don't move.  Then I'll cut out the filler yarn.

After cutting them apart, I had to go and pick and trim all the tiny threads that came off.  It takes quite a bit of time, but this makes the edges look really clean!

Now I'm ready to ship them, and before I start on the other 1900, I feel like I want to wait for the  "These are great!  Now make the other 1900!"  It's a huge commitment and I don't want to have something happen.  So, now my other loom sits and wait for a tie-on!  What a predicament to be in... I just barely got the 4-shaft up and running after a 4 month stall!

The Knots

Someone asked me what type of knot I used to tie onto the old warp.  I think I used an overhand knot.

But anyway this is the type of knot I used to tie on the old warp:

And here is a bigger pic of the new color combo:

Love it!
I have done 2.25 placemats.  I need 6 total.  Then I have to make a runner.

I was thinking about these darker colors for placemats, and they are probably a very good idea indeed.  Why?  They will hide any stains really well! 

Fixing the already good warp

So my day started with fixing an already good former warp.  I just had to extend it somewhat on each side.  I am planning on tying onto this old trellis warp, it is correctly threaded and this will save a lot of time!  I used some inkle straps to hold the back in place while I tie-on.  That way the threads won't be yanked out of my hands while I'm trying to tie-on!  I feel like it's one of the more clever things I've come up with!

To refresh your memory on this project, I need to make a 78" table runner and six 17" placemats, all with 14" width.  I know shrinkage is a huge deal, so I added about 15% to everything.  So my width is now about 16", instead of 14".  My length for everything will also increase, like the runner is now 90" total and the placemats are each 20" total.  This should be just perfect!

I am going to warp 8 yards of 10/2 perle cotton in lipstick red.  All I have to do is tie it onto the old warp from my other trellis table runners, but it's going in two threads at a time in a 10 dent reed, so it's 20 epi.  I am going to use the 5/2 perle cotton in mountain color for the weft.

This is my pattern using the correct colors:

Linda's project

I can finally continue on with Linda's project!!  I have the 10/2 perle cotton red!!  It never came in with my February order, so I had to go hunting around for it.  Thanks to my friend for having some on hand and saving the day!!!  I think that these colors are marvelous together and will look great in trellis!  I can't wait to get started!

I can finally use my 4-shaft loom again!  It has been waiting for this warp since February.  I've been wanting to tie-on onto the old warp so I haven't used it at all!

PS. Where's Zip??

 

Linda's Projects

 Just a status update on Linda's projects!  The teal color finally came in. It is the 5/2 that I am going to use in the overshot weft for the trellis project.  Now we are just waiting on the 10/2 red color for the warp!  Too bad the warp color didn't come in first, then I could get started already!
 

The trellis plans:

 I also got some turquoise eyes onto Linda's armadillo and he's all ready to go.  So cute!

Back to waiting... I don't dare touch my 4-shaft loom because it's all ready to tie the new warp on.  But maybe if I did start touching it and tempting it, then the yarn would come... hmmm...

Linda's Trellis

A few weeks ago, my aunt's friend Linda contacted me about weaving a few special projects for her.  She wants a table runner and 6 placemats done in Bertha Gray Hayes' Trellis #55 pattern.  She also wants an armadillo with turquoise eyes!  Linda sent me a sample of the colors she wants in her overshot projects.  She was aiming for a deep red/rust color for the background color and a teal color for the pattern float.  I ordered UKI 10/2 perle cotton in the color lipstick for the warp and weft and I ordered UKI 5/2 perle cotton in Mountain for the pattern float. 

 
If all goes well, this is what it should look like:

The width of everything needs to be 14", so keeping in mind a 10%-15% shrinkage, I think I will warp for 16".  The sett will be 20 epi, so I need to warp 322 ends, but I might do 330 instead for a little bit extra.  In order to weave the 76" runner with 4" fringe on each end and 6 placemats of 17" each plus a little fringe on each one, plus the loom waste and a little extra for practice, I need to make at least a 5 yard warp.  I think I might go for 6 yards.

Luckily Linda contacted me before I was completely done with the trellis project that was already on my loom so I plan on just tying on to ends of the old warp and adding a little bit to each side.  Remember this one?  I just finished it!!

 

The finished size of the last trellis project was only 12", so I just need to add a few inches.  Tying on to the last warp will save a lot of threading time.  I am excited to see this project come together! 

Now I just can't wait for the yarn to come!